Improved stone-dressing machine



anni @Wina J, THOMPSON CREE, OF lWORCS'IISIR, MASSACHUSETTS.

Letters Patent o. 90,822, dated June 1, 1869.

IMPROVED STONE-DRESSING MACHINE.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part of the saine.

Know all men b y these presents:

That I, J. THOMPSON CRE, of the city and county of Worcester, and Commonwealth of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Stone-Dressing Machines, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description,

had tothe accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which- Figure l represents a side stone-dressing machine ;v

Figure 2 represents a top," or plan View of the same;

Figure 3 represents a sectionon line A B, fig. 1;

Figure 4 represents, upon an enlarged scale, pieces of broken buhrstone, used in the process of dressing stone by my machine; and v Figure 5 represents, upon an enlarged scale, pieces of chilled iron, used in the same manner.-

'lo enable those skilled in the art to which my in'- vention belongs, to make and use the same, I will describe it more in detail.

The nature of my invention consists- First, in the combination with the base, or bottom of the flame, which supports the lower stone, of `a series of friction-balls, as will be hereafter' explained.

Second, in the combination with the frame, which supports the lower stone,` of a series of friction-balls and two operating cranks, or eccentrics, as and for the purposes hereafter explained.

Third, in the combination with the frame which supports the upper stones, of a series of friction-balls, as hereafter set forth.

Fourth, in the combination with the upper and lower stone-frames, of the supporting and operating-mechanism, or devices.

Fifth, in the combination with the blocks of stones to be polished, arranged in reciprocating frames, as hereafter described, of small pieces of buhrstoue, chilled iron, and steel, as hereafter explained.

In the drawings- `A` is the base of the machine, upon which are secured four upright stands, or columns B B B B, one at each corner. The tops of the columns,vor stands B are, in this instance, enlarged, as shown at (t, the upper face of the columns being recessed, or cored out to form chambers, or concavities, shown in dotted lines, to receive the friction-balls b, one to each colump, for supporting the metal box-frame 0, which is view of my improved provided upon its under side with projections c, one at` each corner, said projections c being recessed or cored out upon their lower sides to form recesses, shown in dotted lines, to receive the friction-balls b, as indicated in the drawings.

lt will be seen that the lower stone-frame G is supported upon four friction-balls b, one at each corner, p

and that the recesses, or chambers in the under side of the projections c, and in the tops of the columns B,

reference being in which the friction-balls b work, are of sufficient size to allow of a forward, back, and lateral motion to said frame, to conform to the motion of two cranks, or eccentrics d, one at each end of said frame, said cranks being connected to vertical shafts e, having bevelgears f on their lower ends, which mesh into and receive motion from the bevel-gears g, on the horizontal shaft D, the upright crank-shaft being supported in proper frames E, one of which is shown in iig. 3.

lhe crank-pins h t into holes in projections j, upon the under side of the' stone-frame' C, one of the crankshafts al being arranged at each end of the frame and between the columns, or stands B B, at that end. f

Outside of the columns B are four upright screwshafts, or standards F, providedwith supporting-nuts m, upon which rests the frame Gr, the upper ends of the screw-shaft F passing through ears, or projections n. of said frame, and being, in this instance, fitted with clamp-nuts vo.

Grooved flanges 1) project in from the inner sides of frame G, in which are arranged friction-balls 1, for supporting the upper stone-frameH, which is provided with outward projecting flanges 2, the under sides of which are grooved out to fit the friction-balls 1, as indicated in lig. 3. v

The front of frame G is connected to the upright 'crankshaft I by means of connecting-rod J, the lower end of crank-shaft I being provided with a bevel-gear,

3, which meshes into bevel-gear 4, on the end of the horizontal shaft D.

The mode of operation is as follows:

A block of stone, K, to be dressed, is arranged in the boxframe O, and adjusted'iu a proper position by the set screws 5, and clamping-piece 6. Two other blocks of stone L L are arranged in the upper stoneframe H, which are also adj usted in position by means of the clampii'ig-screws 7 and clampiugpieces 8, said blocks being separated by means of pieces 9, so as to leave an opening, s, between them, as indicated in figs. 2 and 3. l

Frame G is now adjusted, by means of nuts m, to support the stone-frame H and blocks of stone L L, at the desired and proper height above the stone K. Motion is now imparted to shaft Din any suitable manner, whereby a rotary reciprocating motion is oommunicated, through the cranks d d, to the lower stoneframe C, while a reciprocating motion is imparted, through crank-shaft I and connecting-rod J, to the upper stone-frame H.

If the faces of the stones to be dressed are rough and uneven, the 'attendant shovels into the opening s'small pieces of broken bul1rstone,ors'mall pieces of chilled iron mixed with water,which, passing down between the blocks of stone L L, are drawn inbetween the lower faces of said stones and the upper face.,

the latter, and the reciprocating motion of blocks L L, the lower faces ofthe latter and the upper face ofthe former are rapidly cut away by the pieces of chilled iron, or broken pieces of `buhrstone.

After the faces of the bloekshave been reduced to even and uniform surfaces, the upper blocks can be lowered by turning screws mi, so as to bring the rubhing-faces of the stones sufficiently near to each other which they can be conveniently shovelled by the atl tendant into the opening s, while the machine is in operation. I

Instead of the flanges 2'runnin'g on frictimi-balls, they may be arranged or fitted to work in grooves, or ways upon the insides of the frame G, and nuts m may be combined with bevel-gears and shafting, whereby they can all be moved up and down by turning a single shaft or crank, and nuts o may be dispensed with in some cases, the frame and weight of the stones being quite suilicient to retain theuppcr frame in po- Sition.A

By supporting the lower frame and stone upon friction-balls, as show-n and described, it requires but little power, comparatively speaking, to operate the machlne,'to what it would it' said frame run on staf tionary ways, or guides. l

The upper frame H can ris'e slightly, in'case of clogging, thereby insuring free working ofthe machine, which is thus rendered self-clearing.

It will be observed that the sides of the frames H and C always work in lilies parallel with cach other, Valthough the latter is moved back and forth laterally, while it has a reciprocating motion longitudinally, the

' same as frame H.

An apron maybe attached `to the lower part of frame C, of such size asto prevent any water or dirt from falling into the chambers, or recesses in which the friction-balls vb work, and, if found necessary, a similar apron may be attached to the upper frame.

In lieu of a single or large block of stone being placed inthe frame C, several smaller blocks may be per stone upon the lower one.

Oil may be turned into the recesses, or concavities in which the friction-balls b work, toilesscn their friction as they roll from side to side.

Having described my improved stone-dressing machine,

`What I claim therein as new, and of my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. The frame C, supported upon fn'ctionfbal-ls, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

2. The combination, with the columns, or standards B, and frame C,of the friction-balls b, substantially as and iorthepurposes set fortl l 3. The combination, with the'. frameG, supported upon friction-balls, of the operz'tting-cranks ll al, substanti-ally as described.

4. The combination, with a lower stone-frame, having a rotary reciprocating motion, 'of an upper' stonetrame, having a reciprocating motion, substantially as described.

5. The combination, with frames and H, of the' `friction-balls l, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

(i. The arrangement with \the upper reciprocating frame H, of two blocks of stone, tobe ground and polishe-d, substantially as shown and described, whereby a centralflongitudinal opening, s, is left between them y for the reception and more rapid and even distribution of the grinding and polishing-material, substantially as described.

7. The combination, with the blocks-0f stone to he ground and polished, arrangedin reciprocating-frames,

the upper one of which is capable of risin for the purpose stated, of small pieces of buhrstone, chilled iron, and steel, substantially as and fol' the purposes set forth.

Witnesses: J. THOMPSON CREE.

THos. H. Denen, D. L. MILLER. 

